Tewksbury Police Use Student's Name Suggestion For Comfort Dog

TEWKSBURY, MA — The new Tewksbury police comfort dog will be named Waffles, a name suggested by a second-grade student, Chief Ryan Columbus said Wednesday.

The department held a contest to name the Labradoodle puppy, inviting suggestions from Tewksbury Public Schools students.

Waffles was introduced to the contest winner, second-grader Jack Johnson, and his parents Adrianne and Shaun Johnson at the Tewksbury Police Station after school Wednesday.

Jack's teacher Karen Bancroft also attended the meeting.

"Jack's parents brought him to the police station, where Jack and Waffles immediately took a liking to each other," the police said in a news release. "Chief Columbus presented Jack with a basket of small gifts, including a plush waffle toy and a Tewksbury T-shirt."

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Waffles is training to serve with School Resource Officer Eric Hanley, to help build relationships and defuse situations in the school district.

"Jack said he nominated the name Waffles because a photograph of the puppy reminded him of a waffle, and because his family's dog loves to eat waffles," according to the news release.

Almost 1,000 name ideas were submitted, with some of the most frequent suggestions being "Buddy, Cooper, Teddy, Bentley, Rocky, Milo, Chief and Scout."

"The community's response to our challenge was tremendous, and I congratulate Jack on a great suggestion that stood out from nearly 1,000 others and won us over," Columbus said. "Jack and Waffles both have a bright future as they continue their education here in Tewksbury."

The police received 9-week-old Waffles Sunday from Monadnock Labradoodles, a dog breeder in southern New Hampshire. He is an Australian Labradoodle, a cross between a poodle, a Labrador and a cocker spaniel bred to be as hypoallergenic as possible, calm, clever, confident and friendly.

"Waffles and Officer Hanley will begin an intensive training program at Auntie Dog Training Studio in Tewksbury in the coming days, with several months of training ahead for both," the department said. "The initiative to add a comfort dog to the department's roster is being fully funded by donations from Monadnock Labradoodles LLC, Walmart, Salem Five Bank, Auntie Dog Training Studio, Taught-a-Lot Childcare, and WellPet LLC."

"The generosity and support the Tewksbury community has provided ever since we started considering adding a comfort dog to our department has been overwhelming, and the entire Tewksbury Police Department appreciates it tremendously. We are thankful that Tewksbury Public Schools collaborated with us to make this idea a reality," Columbus said. "Students have been through a lot in the past two years, so we're excited to add Waffles to our department as a calming resource for all."

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.